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Free interactive practice tool

LOOK Safeguarding
Framework®

Build a whole-picture understanding of safeguarding and domestic-abuse concerns, recognise how risks and harms can accumulate, and identify the duties, pathways and actions that may need consideration.

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Free early access until 31 December 2026. No payment card or automatic subscription.

What does cumulative harm mean? The combined impact of repeated or connected concerns over time—even when each incident may appear small or be managed separately.

No account or payment for the public toolReflections stay temporarily in this page; they are not saved or sentPrint or save your draft before refreshing or closing the page
LOOK Safeguarding Framework: Living Circumstances, Obstacles and Barriers, Ongoing Risks and Escalation, and Keeping the Person in View

See more. Understand more. Act earlier.

Choose how to use LOOK

Start free. Add support when you need it.

The core interactive tool is always free and requires no account. Practitioner and organisation options add guided resources, implementation and assurance.

Always free

Free LOOK Interactive

Check duties, explore the four connected lenses, and print or save a draft formulation.

  • No account or payment
  • Entries remain on your device
  • Immediate access
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Organisation Support

Introduce LOOK with training, implementation planning, evaluation and assurance.

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  • Agreed scope and cost
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Open the fictional worked example ↗HTML and tagged PDF reading versions

Free public LOOK · No account needed

Public pathway guides

Explore substance use and safeguarding, substance use and domestic abuse, alcohol and safeguarding, and alcohol and domestic abuse. Find practical prompts, support routes and clearly signposted guidance.

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Substance use, alcohol & safeguarding →

Before you use the free tool

Use only fictional or fully anonymised information. Do not enter names, identifying details or confidential information, or copy from case records. This tool supports professional reflection and does not replace safeguarding procedures or professional judgement.

Step 1

Check duties.

Answer Yes, Unsure or No. Your answers do not determine a legal threshold. They highlight duties and pathways that must be checked using current law, guidance, local procedures and professional judgement.

Complete the checks above to create a concise list of duties and pathways to consider.

01 L

Look at context

Living Circumstances

Understand the person within their home, relationships, identity, daily life and community.

Duties and practice considerations

    Apply relevant law, guidance and local procedures. Seek specialist advice where required.

    Step 3

    Develop your whole-picture formulation.

    Use these three prompts to connect the four lenses, then generate a structured draft for professional review.

    01What is happening across the person’s life—not just today’s presenting concern?
    02How are vulnerabilities interacting and changing over time?
    03What needs to happen together to reduce risk and improve outcomes?

    Explain what the information means—not only what happened.

    Need help? View a short formulation example

    Observation: The person has missed three appointments.

    Connected interpretation: Reduced engagement sits alongside increasing isolation and financial dependence. This may indicate coercion or reduced opportunity to seek help. A trusted worker remains protective. Agencies need to clarify immediate risk and agree who will maintain oversight.

    Useful structure: evidence + meaning + change over time + strengths + uncertainty + action.

    Draft whole-picture formulation

    Review and save your draft.

    Your reflections exist only temporarily while this page remains open. They are not written to browser storage, sent to PS Safeguarding or any external processing service, or saved in your portal account. Refreshing or closing the page will erase them. Using fixed rules, the tool arranges your own entries into a structured draft for professional review; it does not interpret case information, make safeguarding decisions or calculate risk.

    Help shape LOOK

    Tested the tool?

    Tell us what was useful, what was unclear and whether the domains and connecting questions supported your formulation.

    Implementation support

    Embed LOOK in your organisation or partnership.

    PS Safeguarding provides introductory sessions, tailored training, pilot support, implementation planning, facilitator development and audit or assurance tools.

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    Practice note

    The LOOK Safeguarding Framework® supports structured reflection, professional curiosity and identification of duties or pathways that may require consideration. It does not decide whether a statutory threshold is met and does not replace specialist assessment tools, statutory duties, organisational procedures, immediate risk assessment or professional judgement. If there is an immediate risk of harm, follow your organisation’s safeguarding and emergency procedures.

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